Heartbeat
by MasterOwl
Summary: Howl's moving castle -one-shots, mostly Howl/Sophie. Story number four, "Starlight" is here! Come, read and review! :)
1. Heartbeat

**A/N: I'm from Finland. Please forgive me my defects in writing.**

Heartbeat

Sophie yawned and straightened her back, which was protesting with loud crunching. She groaned, because every clack passed painfully through her back. Besides, no one was listening - Michael had already gone to bed and Calcifer was sleeping in the fireplace. Howl was in his room upstairs as well, so Sophie was alone in the downstairs and could moan and groan without getting any pitying or odd looks on her.

Sophie dipped the rag into the water and started to hum a song Calcifer had taught to her. Her old woman's voice was fragile when she sung softly: "Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine..."

"Thou art lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine!" continued a familiar voice from the stairs. "Sophie, Sophie." Howl said her name smiling softly but shaking his head at the same time. "Always at work."

When Sophie heard his voice she flinched, and then turned around angry that he had been eavesdropping her. However, she did her turn too fiercely, and something clicked in her back. Involuntarily she cried out loud and bent to double.

Howl's eyes grew big and he strode to Sophie.

"It's nothing, I'm okay", she tried, but Howl put his hand on her back, exactly on that spot where the pain was the most severe. Sophie moved her old eyes on Howl, and she thought she saw a slight flash in his glass-green eyes. Then he pulled his hand off and Sophie stood back astonished - the pain was gone.

The peculiar moment lasted for a few heartbeats, but then Sophie recuperated her shock. "Young man, do you eavesdrop me?" she demanded.

Howl smirked, looking like his own self again. "Not at all. I only came down to see were you still drudging. You should get some sleep!"

"As an old crone you don't really need that much sleep anymore."

Howl looked at Sophie incredulously. Sophie raised her hands defiantly on her hips, when Howl in turn lifted his hands up to air. "Peace! I don't want to fight, I only came to watch that you wouldn't work yourself alive. Although", he added, "I think that's not possible."

Sophie sighed and put her hands down. Howl offered her a chair, and she sat down without any complaints - she was admittedly exhausted. Not until now she properly took notice how mess his hair was, how shabby his nightshirt was, and how handsome he was. Howl was looking quite natural now, and yet he was truly handsome. He was as handsome as always, and Sophie just couldn't understand why he made so much effort with his aspect, because without all that magic and spells he was still looking like that.

Sophie realized that she was staring at him. She also realized that he had caught her staring at himself. Howl grinned and Sophie blushed and snorted.

"Do you have still much to do?" Howl asked.

"Well, not actually, I'm going to bed quite soon."

"Good."

Today had been a hard day, scarecrow's attack and everything. Howl was exceptionally concerned.

"Umm, by the way, Sophie, do you have a family?" Howl asked suddenly. Sophie was not able to see his face, because he was standing his back facing her.

Sophie got confused. Family? Howl assumed, of course, that she was as old as she looked like, and was meaning probably a husband and children. Sophie decided to answer truthfully.

"I have as much children as I have husbands - none", Sophie said, still sitting on the chair, leaning against her cane, her back bent.

Howl turned to look at Sophie. "Have you ever had one? A spouse, I mean?"

A very bizarre question. Sophie thought should she start to tell untruths about 'poor deceased Alfred-dear', but she ended up to that result that it was better to lie less.

"I am what I am - a lifelong old maid." Then she decided to add her credibility. "My parents were mourning about that, but I said; what to sorrow, we got my dear sisters and their dear children, and my mother and father are able to be proud of them. They are gone now, my parents, but I can still remember how my father looked at me with that sadness in his eyes when he saw how I got uglier and uglier, day after day." Sophie sighed sounding dramatically sad. "Why are you asking, laddie?"

Howl's face was indecipherable. His eyebrows were elevated in a strange way. Slowly he straightened his legs, stood up, stretched himself and yawned loudly. He smacked his mouth and said: "Good to know."

That was indecipherable, too.

"But if that really is true, you getting uglier day after day, I would have liked to see you when you were young, indeed. You were probably the most beautiful woman in the whole city", said Howl sleepily, without any mockery when he was climbing up the stairs. "I'm going to sleep. Good night, Sophie."

Sophie did not answer, and Howl was not expecting her to do so. The girl was sitting on the chair as an old woman, looking at the sleeping fire. Eventually she blew out the candles and crawled into her bed under the stairs and fell to sleep. Slowly glided the Howl's moving castle in the waste, at the same pace with the moon.


	2. The Moment Before Dawn

**A/N: I must say that 'Heartbeat' has now gotten four awesome little reviews, and I love them! Thank you, brilliant people! ^_^ And again: I'm From Finland. Please forgive me my defects in writing.**

The Moment Before Dawn

That night Howl rolled restlessly in his bed. He sat up and his hair sticked out. Then he sighed and fell down again. When he rotated, he got entangled in his blanket, and it was hard to break free. But when he finally did, the moon peeped from the window, behind the shabby curtains, and it's light danced on his face. As it would have laughed to him.

Howl continued to bounce until he hit his head against the corner of his bed so hard that he crashed to the floor. He was lying there, half dead, head aching, and at last he dropped asleep.

When Howl woke up, he was sweating in panic. He had had a horrible nightmare. He groped with his hands in the darkness, but felt nothing but the sheets. He rose up too quickly and a faint sense of giddiness came upon him for a moment, but it did not stop him. The panic pounded in his head.

Howl sneaked out of his room and quietly as a mouse he walked down the stairs. Oh well, to be honest, he rumbled down the stairs like a panicky hippo, but he had to check one matter - he had to know Sophie was still there. He ripped the curtain open and felt so deep sense of relief when he saw her, sniffling in her bed, that he huffed aloud. Sophie moved fractionally, but did not wake up. Howl spend a moment just watching her sleep.

He jumped in to the bed next to her on a whim. He was still shocked - he needed safety. Howl crawled under the blanket and rested his head on the pillow. Thinking of it by afterwards, it was rather rude, without any asking Sophie, but Howl just had to do it.

Sophie muttered in her sleep and turned over. Now her sleeping face was towards Howl. In the moonlight he saw how she opened her eyes blinking and slowly observed what was in front of her. Sophie almost had a heart attack. She jumped up and was going to scream, but Howl silenced her by putting his hand on her mouth. When Sophie tried to struggle to escape, he grabbed her hand, kept her steady and said: "Shut up, it's just me."

Sophie looked sleepy, shocked and angry, all at the same time. Rubbing her eyes she stammered: "What you-? When-? How dare you-?" She pulled the blanket to protect herself. "Howl!"

"I had a nightmare", he mumbled. Some kind of motherly sense took over in Sophie's head, and she leaned down next to Howl, with bright eyes gazing at him. He gazed back.

"I had a nightmare", Howl repeated. It was like the sheets would have sucked all the layers he kept up to protect himself, and there was now just he, fragile and vulnerable. He said the sentence just like it felt inside him, which made Sophie touched gently Howl's face and hair. Howl winced.

Sophie frowned. "What?" Howl laughed and kept looking at her beautiful face. Even if it was dark, he saw how the red color rose in her face. She was clearly trying to say something. Howl was quiet and just listened, if she would some day say something.

"Are you sure this is suitable?" Sophie finally got out of her mouth.

"What?" Howl asked, smiling playfully.

Sophie sighed. "You are in my bed."

Howl tried to look innocent. "So?" But he could not resist and flashed a frisky, boyish smile. Sophie blushed more, if that was even possible anymore.

Sophie sat up. "What are you trying? You could at least once tell the truth, Howl. It's just me, dull old Sophie."

It was night. Howl was dazed. Sophie was next to him. She was looking at him sadly, thinking that Howl was playing his womanizer-games again. Therefore he decided to be honest for once.

Howl seized Sophie's shoulders and drew her against him, pressing his lips intensely on her lips. She released a surprised whiff. Then she relaxed and responded to the kiss. First her kiss was a friable whisper, but she got more courage. Sophie's lips tasted like a dream.

Howl thought it felt strange. He had not got used to his heart yet, and if it acted weirdly when Sophie was around, it totally went wild now when they kissed. He felt bubbles inside him. He felt the ripples, running back and forth on his back, and part of them ran off in his arms. He felt dizzy. He felt an enormous passion, but tried to control it and let Sophie to decide. He felt like this for the first time in his life.

Sophie let out a quiet groan. Howl pulled back for a bit, and raised his left hand fondly on her cheek.

"What's wrong, Sophie?"

He saw a trace of question in the blue-green eyes. She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Me neither", Howl said and went to lie down. After a while Sophie followed him. They lay side by side in the quiet night without saying a word. Howl noticed that they were breathing at the same rate.

Howl got a stroke of genius. Oh well, to be honest, the thought had started to form a long time ago, but right then it seemed like a whim he had to fulfill immediately. Howl soared from the bed and ran in his room. Sophie got only a moment to think what had just happened, and then Howl was already back. He went to sit on the floor next to the bed.

"Sophie, come here."

Sophie was incredulously doing what was told. When she was looking from the edge of the bed to the floor where Howl was lying, Howl used this opportunity and took hold of her hands. He looked deep in the Sophie's eyes and said: "Sophie Hatter, will you marry me?"

Sophie's eyes widened and that made her look like an owl - a red-haired owl who has woken in the middle of her deepest dream. Howl thought she looked adorable.

Sophie noticed the ring in Howl's hand, and her mouth opened even bigger. Howl was afraid that her chin would drop off to the floor. She started to breathe; in and out, in and out, closing and opening her mouth at the same time, which brought in Howl's mind the saying 'fish out of water'.

"Howl, it's like four o'clock in the morning. You just woke up because of a nightmare and then jumped in my bed. And then you kiss me and now you want to marry me?"

"Exactly", Howl grinned.

Sophie sighed. "Why?"

"Well, why people usually get married?"

"You tell me. Howl, I know that you don't want to say things straight. I know that you're afraid that you might hurt yourself. I know that it's the way you are and I'm not asking you to change. I don't demand you anything like that. But this is a quite serious thing you're asking, and I just want to know why. Why are you doing this?"

Sophie closed her mouth. She feared Howl would now run away from her.

Eventually Howl smiled. "Since you pushed into my castle, nothing's been like it was. I was so lost, but then you came with your broom, and you cleaned the way out. You saved me, more than once, and I think that in the middle of everything I fell in love with you. And I'm afraid that you can't wash that away, not with soaps or spells. Sophie, I love you. That's just the way it is, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, it's all up to you now; do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Howl took a deep breath. He was telling the truth, he had revealed himself. But it did not feel bad, not this time, not alone with Sophie. The only thing he was scared of, was Sophie's answer.

And Sophie thought, so long that Howl began to get nervous. It happened quickly, far too quickly but Howl still saw it; a little nod. Tiny move of the head, which was apparently supposed to mean 'yes'. Sophie was serious. Then a huge smile captured her mouth, and Howl thought she glowed. Sophie laughed while she said 'yes'.

"Of course I'm gonna marry you, do you think I have a choice, vain man?" Sophie said teasingly, but her smile showed the truth.

And obviously, now it was Sophie's turn to kiss Howl. She did it carefully and softly, and her warm hands rested on his cheeks. She pulled away for few centimeters, and the tip of her nose touched slightly his nose. Then she whispered: "I love you and I want to make you happy."

"You already did", Howl said quietly and pressed his forehead against hers. He took a deep breath and continued with in a complete different tone. "But I must say, that I'm afraid you have lost your mind - did you actually agreed on to be my wife?"

"I'm afraid so."

Howl smiled broadly. "You know, I'm really tired. And I had a nightmare, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Sophie did not seem to know what to do. "Um..."

"Sophie. I really, truly am tired", Howl clarified.

Sophie nodded. "Me too."

That night in the castle was quite peaceful, excluding a couple of fights about the coverage and that one time when Sophie (accidentally) kicked Howl out of bed.


	3. Darker The Night

**A/N: Thank you so much for the comments&all! You are awesome! ^_^ Aaaand English is not my mother tongue, so please be merciful.**

Darker The Night

Michael knocked the door gently. No response. He knocked again, a little louder - still no answer. Michael turned around - Lettie was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Michael, is everything okay?" Sophie's sister asked and inclined her head.

Michael grimaced and opened slightly the door. "Sophie?"

Someone mumbled sleepily. Michael ventured to put his head into the room. He had not been in Howl and Sophie's room very frequently. It was the final result of two strong magic powers. At the same time it was clean and messy. It was much more cleaner since Sophie had come around, but Howl's precious spiders were still there. It all made Michael feel stunned, and he shook his head and moved his eyes to big canopy bed in the middle of the room.

There was someone in the bed. Michael took a few steps forward. He discovered that it was Sophie. She slept crosswise on the bed, surrounded by many pillows, and hugging one pillow. The blanket was half on her, and a part of it had rolled on the floor, with couple of pillows. Sophie's long, reddish hair was very tangled and it enfolded her face. There was a dried spittle on her cheek.

In front of that view, Michael was wordless.

"Sophie! Gracious!" said Lettie. Michael took fright - he had not noticed that Lettie had come to upstairs and next to him.

Sophie whined and moved a little bit. Slowly she opened her eyes.

"Ugh", she said, and covered her face with her hands. Sophie tried to rise up, but failed and slumped back to bed. She lamented quietly.

"Sophie, it's almost midday. Are you sick?" Lettie asked worried.

Michael looked at Sophie, when she was trying to get up from the bed and he looked at Lettie when she was trying to help Sophie getting up from the bed. Then he looked at the room again. On the left side of the bed there was a window, and through it's red curtains the midday sun shined it's way to the room. On the other wall, there was another window, but no sun shining at all. That window only showed gray, dismal clouds. Michael knew that those gray clouds were from Howl's world.

Sophie tried to convince Lettie that she was not sick. "I just couldn't sleep", she groaned. "Howl left to meet the king last night and has not still come back."

Sophie's hair was still messy, and her eyes looked groggy. She was wearing a shabby nightdress. She looked like a lost child.

Lettie hugged Sophie for a long time. Sophie gave a sniff and Lettie hugged her even tighter. Sophie pressed her face against Lettie's shoulder, and Michael saw her crying. There was no sound, but her body shook.

Michael felt like an outsider and looked around him awkwardly. It took it's time, but Sophie was finally able to compile herself. She wiped her eyes and gave a laugh.

"I'm sorry."

Michael and Lettie reassured that Sophie had nothing to be sorry about.

"It's the baby. Your moods vary more than usual", Lettie told.

Sophie nodded. "You seem to know more about this than me", she smiled shortly.

Lettie and Michael went downstairs so Sophie could dress in privacy. Michael went to take care of the flower shop, and Lettie sat at the table and looked out the window. She watched the busy street for a while, until Sophie finally walked down the stairs. She was wearing a navy blue home dress and her hair was in a long braid.

"Do you have something important to tell me, or did you just come to see me?" Sophie asked.

Lettie was wearing a beautiful dress, which had small white flowers embroidered on pink fabric. She glowed warmth and beauty when she sat there smiling knowingly and waving her feet. "Well, actually I came to say goodbye before I go with Ben to our honeymoon."

"Oh. That's nice." Indeed, Lettie and Ben had had a small wedding a week ago. Meeting Lettie made Sophie feel better and more cheery. She smiled and came to sit next to Lettie.

They kept talking until Lettie had to go. Sophie remembered her concern, and felt a bit sadder again. Lettie seemingly noticed it, because she looked at Sophie compassionately, put her hand on her sister's arm, stroked it and said, "Listen, Sophie. I think Howl has just a long workday. He will come home soon, don't worry."

Lettie said goodbye and left. For a moment, Sophie was left alone to sit in an empty room. The day had gotten in the afternoon, and Michael was probably taking care of the flower shop alone. Or maybe he had Martha as a help. Maybe, Sophie thought, I should go to help him. But today was Sunday, so it was Michael's shift. A part of the reason to that, was that Sunday was Howl's only sure day off. On Sunday mornings, Howl got even Sophie Hatter herself to laze in the bed for a little longer.

"Well, well, well., you got up early", said someone all of a sudden. Sarcastic, crackling voice belonged to Calcifer, who was suddenly there, hovering in the air a little way off.

"Oh, hello, Calcifer", Sophie greeted. She was still sleepy. "Nice to see you too, good old blue face", she said, lowering her voice and trying to imitate Howl's tone.

Calcifer gave a laugh. It sounded like a whiz of a catching fire. "You're more manly than our glorious Royal Wizard himself."

Sophie began to smile along Calcifer.

"Speaking of Howl", Calcifer continued, "where is he?"

"I have a faint foreboding that he has gone and gotten himself drunk", Sophie said gloomily. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. That's the reason I slept in - I couldn't sleep."

Sophie sighed. "The war is coming", she continued quietly and glanced at her legs. Her toes were bare. They shivered. "Howl told me. He shouldn't, but he wouldn't conceal from me a thing like that. Or any other. He asked me to go into his world, to Wales." Sophie snorted, sounding miffed. "As if! I'm better at fighting than he is."

Calcifer was silent awhile. "He only wants you to be safe."

"Yes", Sophie nodded and smiled sadly. "I know it."

oOoOo

Howl snapped awake. His head had been resting against a hard wooden table. Howl rubbed his eyes with his hand, and wondered what the time was. He remembered that he had been in a meeting managed by the king late into the night.

When he finally had his eyes open, bright daylight filled them. Howl looked around him. The hall was empty. The warm sunlight of early afternoon floated in from the wide windows. Howl began to be concerned. Had he actually fallen asleep here and slept the whole night until the next afternoon? Didn't anyone had had a thought - even tiny, little one? - that _oh maybe someone should kindly shake awake The Official Royal Wizard, who has seemly dropped asleep on that table, drooled over his papers, messed his hair, and oh he happens to have a pregnant wife at home, waiting for him!_ Rubbish!

Wizard Pendragon threw his papers into his bag, pulled the coat on and flounced out of the palace. On the way he thought what Sophie might say. Would she be mad? He hoped that she hadn't worried too much (which was probable). He had been away for a whole night! That was a new record.

oOoOo

Sophie insisted to give some help to Michael with the flower shop. Then Michael had to go to see Martha, and Sophie took care of the shop for the rest of the afternoon.

For her bad luck, a young lady stomped into the shop with high heels and shining dress. She glared at Sophie and announced that she wanted a specific kind of flower, and nothing else! And of course those flowers were not in any flowerpot in the whole shop.

"I guess I have to go to pick for you that flower from our storage", Sophie said sharply, because she was a bit annoyed, and sleepily, because she was tired.

The young lady narrowed her eyes, but said, "If you please, thank you."

Sophie was partly pleased for an excuse to get some fresh air. She loved the flower meadow. It was so peaceful that she forgot why she had originally come here, and closed her eyes. She fell deep into her thoughts.

"Hello."

Sophie winced. She had forgotten completely where she was, and now a voice behind her brought her back. Sophie knew that voice. It was probably the most familiar voice she knew, she would have recognized it anywhere, anytime. Still it made her heart skip a beat, and she turned quickly around.

"Hello", Sophie said to Howl. He was standing in front of her, without saying a word. Sophie tried to look signs about drinking, but he only looked like he had recently woken up. Howl's blonde hair was messy and his quite new suit was part-way wrinkled.

"You had an angry customer at the shop", Howl informed. "Remember the rule, mrs. Nose? Lose your temper, lose your customer."

"I did not lose my temper", Sophie protested. "She did."

"Right."

"You were employed by the king for this long?" Sophie asked incredulously, changing the subject.

Howl shrugged. "In a way. The meeting lasted a long time and I fell asleep. I freshly woke up."

"You're looking like it also", Sophie admitted. Then she took a couple of quick steps over the flowers, and wrapped her hands around her husband. She felt how Howl pressed his face into her hair and took a deep breath.

"I missed you", Sophie said quietly. "I couldn't sleep all night."

"And the other way round - I slept like a little baby. The table was an excellent sleeping place."

"Maybe I should try it as well", Sophie suggested.

Howl let go of her. There was now a small space between them, and they both looked at each other in the eye.

"Sophie..." Howl started, but she interrupted him.

"Hush", Sophie whispered and put her hand on her stomach. "Everything is going to be alright."

She pressed her head against his chest. Howl's warm hands were holding her again. She heard the steady beating of his heart and she knew, that in the end, everything was going to be alright.

**A/N: I may still continue this story, I have many ideas inside my head, but it can take a long time to publish a new chapter.**


	4. Starlight

**A/N: I thank and bow and send hugs for reading and commenting! By the way, I recently discovered that it's possible to answer to reviews! (Not if it's from a guest, though.) I'm such a genius. And as you all know, my English isn't perfect, sorry. Have a happy December!**

**Please do notice: It's not linked to other stories, it's an AU. You'll see how.**

Starlight

_"Stars of love burn bright_

_Till they're ready to die_

_The broken spend their their nights_

_Staring at the sky"_

-Marina and the Diamonds, _Starlight_

The north wind blew, bringing a few snowflakes with it. Howl took a breath of an air that smelled of freezing water and road dust. The last days of November were approaching Market Chipping, its streets were almost deserted. Maybe one day the snow would cover the fields. Maybe one day the darkness would be replaced with something different. _Ridiculous._ He attempted to laugh bleakly, but the laughter dried up in his throat.

He hadn't been here for ages, yet now he needed a White Winter's Belladonna, which only grew around here. The plant popped up in the middle of the street occasionally, so he had to be attentive and patient. Patient, however, wasn't one of his best aspects. Keeping his eyes on the ground he didn't observe the surrounding, whereupon he bumped into a person who came around the corner.

"Ouch!" said the person.

Howl would have known that voice anywhere. _Why? _he thought. _Not here, not now._

Sophie stood up right away, wiping her trite, grey dress. "Pardon me, mister", she mumbled and looked down. Green apples that had been in the basked she had carried, had spread all over the street. She snorted and started to pick them up.

"Don't bother", Howl said, waved his hand and all the apples floated back into her basket.

As Sophie looked up at him for the first time, he felt how his heart dropped. He hadn't seen that face for years. If anything, she was just more beautiful than he had remembered.

A spark lighted inside her blue-green eyes. "You are a magician, too?" The tip of her nose turned red, just like always when she got excited – or angry.

He tried to swallow, but there was something on the way. "Yes", he said hoarsely.

Her face was thoughtful, she narrowed her eyes, kept looking at him in silence. As if she was trying to catch an old memory, never really reaching it. Howl knew she couldn't, not ever. Hoping otherwise was foolish. And painful.

"Have we ever met?"

_Yes. A million times._ He shook his head. _You loved me once. _"I don't think so."

"Oh." Sophie looked a little bit disappointed. The wind grabbed her red hair, waving it back and forth. She pulled her coat tighter around her. "I'll freeze to icicles if I stand here any longer", she declared.

"If you're a witch, why don't you make yourself warmer?" Howl inquired.

She frowned. "I don't know. I'm not good enough?"

"I do believe you have great powers. It radiates from you."

Sophie almost blushed. "Really?"

Howl nodded. He couldn't bear to look at her anymore. He bent down, picked one apple from the ground and handed it to her. "Here, it didn't catch the others." When she took it, their hands touched for a second. Her hand was soft and warm. "I need to go", he said, drawing a smile to his face.

"Wait!" she called after a few steps. "I don't even know who you are."

He turned to give her a final look, smiling a sad smile. "You don't need to, my dear. I'll be off now." He turned and walked away. Sophie stood there for a while, and the snow fell down from the sky, catching her hair and eyelashes. She was sure she had seen those green eyes before. Then she shrugged her shoulders_. I'm such a fool sometimes_, she thought and continued her way to home.


End file.
